The European Union has set the target of reducing the production of fossil-based plastics by 20% and microplastic emissions into the environment by 30% by 2030. The persistent accumulation of plastics leads to the release of microplastics and toxic substances that contaminate soil and threaten ecosystems. In this respect, plastics currently used in agriculture are a particularly relevant example, as they are in direct contact with the environment and their recovery is not always feasible, meaning they may ultimately be released. In recent years, bio-based and biodegradable materials have emerged, but further research is needed to improve their performance so that they can become a real alternative to conventional plastics. Likewise, it is essential to analyse the environmental impact of these new materials and compare it with that of existing ones to confirm that they represent a genuine improvement.

The INSOIL project, which brings together 16 centres from eight European countries and is coordinated by the Institute of Packaging, Transport and Logistics Technology, with the participation of the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló, addresses pollution caused by plastics, fertilisers and plant protection products in agriculture. It does so through the development of three families of fully bio-based, safe and soil-biodegradable plastic products—mulch films, seedling protectors and coatings for controlled-release fertilisers—aimed at contributing to more sustainable agricultural production.

To create these new products, INSOIL will make use of six types of second- and third-generation bio-based raw materials (biogenic CO₂ emissions, waste from the pulp and forestry industry, by-products from agriculture and food processing, and microalgal and microbial biomass) and will develop functional prototypes of plastic products. These products will be validated under real conditions with end users, namely leading fruit and vegetable producers in southern and northern Europe.

Insulin resistance — when the body doesn't properly respond to insulin, a hormone that helps control blood glucose levels — is one of the fundamental causes of diabetes. In addition to diabetes, it is widely known that insulin resistance can lead to cardiovascular, kidney and liver diseases. While insulin resistance is tightly associated with obesity, it has been difficult to evaluate insulin resistance itself in the clinic. For the first time, researchers including those from the University of Tokyo applied a machine learning-based prediction model of insulin resistance to half a million participants from the UK Biobank and demonstrated that insulin resistance is a risk factor for 12 types of cancer. 

Despite being riddled with impurities and defects, solution-processed lead-halide perovskites are surprisingly efficient at converting solar energy into electricity. Their efficiency is approaching that of silicon-based solar cells, the industry standard. In a new study published in Nature Communications, physicists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) present a comprehensive explanation of the mechanism behind perovskite efficiency that has long perplexed researchers.

Professor Shinichiro Sawa of Kumamoto University has received funding from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) under its ASPIRE Program for an international research project on sustainable agriculture. Conducted in collaboration with France’s INRAE, the five-year project will study plant–soil microbial networks, including nematodes, to advance understanding of the agricultural holobiome. The project, selected under the “ASPIRE for Top Scientists” scheme, will begin in December 2025 with funding of up to 500 million yen (approximately USD 3.2 million).